


Strings of Fate

by Bi-Ocelot (Bi_Ocelot)



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure, Lore design is my passion, Minimal Fantasy Fighting, Multi, Only one of them wants a soulmate so too bad for the other one lmao, Red String of Fate, Steve and Alex are best friends, The Nether (Minecraft), They’re yearning your honor, red string au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26287705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bi_Ocelot/pseuds/Bi-Ocelot
Summary: Everyone is bound by a string tied around their finger, a link to their destined fate. The crimson bond. But Steven has a bit of a problem, rather than point into the distance or to the mountains, his points straight down.After being commissioned for an expedition to the nether, Steven and Alex decide to spend a little more time exploring the hellish realm. Oblivious to what awaited them, they dive headfirst into danger and bite off more than they could chew.
Relationships: Alex & Steve (Minecraft), Herobrine & Steve (Minecraft), Herobrine/Steve (Minecraft)
Comments: 79
Kudos: 190





	1. Odds and Ends

...

**STRINGS OF FATE**

_Part I: Odds and Ends_

...

Almost everyone has a red string of fate. A little crimson string tied around their finger only a few inches long before it fades into thin air. Many don’t meet their destined fates within a lifetime, rather choosing to unwind the string and weave a new destiny for themselves. Nothing is ever set in stone, that’s for sure. But whether it was a curse or morbid curiosity, Steven couldn’t decide.

Everyone around him, that openly displayed their strings, always pointed towards the horizon or even within their area. Some aimed up to the mountains, some gestured down into the deep caverns below. But Steven’s was an odd case. His went directly down, no matter the orientation, no matter how deep he was in a cave, it always pointed down. As in, straight down.

He hid it well after the questions got annoying.

He used a set of gloves commissioned from a person who honed their skill just for such a predicament: to suppress the magic of the red string of fate and tuck it away hiding it from view. The other string on his hand was left loud and open, that one was normal. It’s faded end always gesturing towards the horizon.

Steven ambled through the market. His pick bouncing on his side with every step and backpack light as he paid a visit to one of the blacksmiths. His emerald purse was heavier though. Strings of red, blue, green, pink, yellow, and many others trailing after people’s hands as he was subconsciously attentive to their presence. Making note that many displayed the red most extravagantly as he passed.

The strings of fate don’t always point to romantic love. There are hundreds of links for platonic, familial, poly... you name it. This greenish teal string, thick and healthy, jolted constantly. Mainly from the vicinity of his best friend, Alex, who was probably doing an obstacle course at the moment. That’s where she said she was. Always jumping at the chance of exercising at the local training area, that one.

Stalls filled with curios and goods. One filled to the brim with painted clay pots of varying sizes. Another stocked with summer vegetables. Flies gathered and swarmed near livestock, harassing the people nearby with their buzzing. Children squealed in glee as the snow-cone man handed out the icy-sugar treat.

Large drooping cloth panels stretched across the walkway of the bazaar-like street market. Shielding many of the personnel from the sun as they bartered or wares and dug through produce. People with aprons smudged with grime and dirt as they showed off tools and metals, the farmer in her straw hat weighing her harvest. Animals were led through the bustling crowd, chickens and children weaving between legs. The edges of dresses and pants dusted with the patted dirt of the path.

The miner had his eyes caught on the wares of an explorer, selling her findings to anyone who approached and asked for the daring history and adventure of a particular item.

Swords old and worn, polished for decoration, old treasure maps framed and set, vases and vessels, possibly the most jarring part of the selection was the vibrant color-changing Jeb sheep pelt that hung on the back wall of the stall. The godly magic still ran strong in the fibers as it filtered through the rainbow of colors.

A flash of gold had redirected his attention as he drew near. It wasn’t the gold as it was the small pendant, it’s edges worn but polished to a shine. Steven approached this pendant with acute interest. It was strung on an equally weathered leather cord and tiny engravings covered the gold piece. The size of the pendant was no bigger than four centimeters in diameter.

“Interesting little thing, eh?”

Steven jerked up at the voice. A redheaded woman with a single eyepatch on her left eye and a cord of braided red upon her finger that linked to another woman behind her, sifting through boxes of artifacts.

“Excuse me?”

The woman laughed as she crossed her arms, “Interested in it?” She gestured at the pendant with her shoulder.

“It’s quite eye-catching,” Steven commented, though unsure if he should reach out for it.

“Battled an ancient golem for it. Must be a charm or something, it’s got that buzz of enchantments, a weak one at that.”

“Oh.”

“She was enamored with it until the golem awoke when she set off the trap.” The other woman added as she sauntered up to look at the pendant.

“Oh, hush,”

They shared a laugh.

The braided crimson cord dangled playfully and tauntingly as the two women bantered. A pang of longing hit Steven square in the face. The miner adjusted the enchanted fingerless gloves on his hands subconsciously as he averted his eyes back down to the pendant.

There was a crude figure in the center surrounded by a halo of fire or was that the sun? There was little to describe the face other than the eyes being prominent. But that probably had to be the weathering. Around the rim were etchings of words long rubbed off, some symbols of standard galactic Steven was able to make out, but not much at this distance. Though the iridescent sheen of an enchantment glittered across its surface excellently.

“How much?”

The woman with an eyepatch pondered for a moment, “For a fellow adventurer, I’d say a single emerald. Take it as a good luck charm, something tells me you’ll need it sooner or later.” She said with a smile.

Steven exchanged good words with the fellow adventurer as he paid for the pendant and slipped it over his neck. Thanking them for their time as he turned towards the exit of the market, thinking about the figure etched. He slipped the pendant beneath his shirt.

He paid no mind as he sauntered closer to the exit, the path widening just that small bit. He enjoyed the sounds of musicians to his left and the scent of the baker’s pastries to his right for that short moment before passing through the gates back into the town.

…

“Hup, Hiya!” A woman with wild curly hair bounded over a wall, under a beam, and swung from a rope until she landed right on the sandy path. She wasted no time in rocketing forward, using her moment to leap over a set of hurdles and climb over another ten-foot wall. A bunch of logs stuck out of the earth and she hopped along, not once losing her balance or misstepping and slipping off the narrow surfaces of the logs.

“Hurah!”

She hopped over a long ditch and dropped to her belly, army crawling beneath barbed-wire and sprinting to the end of the course where a sandy patch and a small triangle flag signaled where the obstacle course ended. A light film of sweat covered her body as he grinned up into the sky, relishing the feeling of the breeze across her features. Her heart thumping in her chest as she breathed heavily. 

She shuffled off to the side and did a few cool-down stretches as she let her heart pace slow just a little bit. Enjoying the breeze for that few seconds longer.

Alex glanced over her shoulder to see guard recruits struggle to keep up, stumbling over their feet and kicking up much dust in the dirt. Many were wearing heavy packs, almost the same weight as the armor and weapons they will be carrying after they graduate.

She wasn’t a guard, far from it, she just liked the equipment the local training area offered. The zombies and skeletons in the forest aren’t very good sparring partners. Not to mention she liked to show off from time to time like she just did.

She skipped over to the bench only a bit away sitting beneath the shade of the building and overhang. Her bag tossed next to it, sagging, and a towel draped over it. She grabbed the towel, wiping down her face and draping it over her shoulders, taking a swig from her canteen too. It sure was a hot day. But summer is like that here.

Alex felt the teal string tied to her index finger tug playfully. A short rhythm. Then that all too familiar sound of tools clinking and heavy steps followed.

“Sup Stevie.” Alex turned to Steven, arms crossed, and a grin on her face.

“Yo.” Steven mimicked her expression as he sauntered up to the bench and plopped himself down, watching as Alex tidied up her belongings, “Obstacle course again?”

“Yeah.” Alex wiped the sweat from around her exposed skin and glanced up at the clock sitting nearby, “Huh… it’s already four?”

Steven followed her gaze, “Yup. Someone was looking for you at the tavern we’re staying at, said they wanted to speak to you about some work.”

“Was it Raina?”

“Maybe, meet me there and you’ll see.”

Alex snickered as she shook her head, “Alright, I’ll hit the showers right now and see you there. Later dude.”

“Later.” Steven gave a half-hearted salute as he walked away from her and disappeared through the doors to the training grounds.

Alex shrugged her pack over her shoulders and took a different turn to the showers. And a little thought came on her mind. She had a strong suspicion on a job offer, maybe mercenary work. Probably to escort or guard something. It’s been a while since someone asked for her by name. Well if it’s Raina it might as well be that she needs the two of them to round up some bees or just wanted to say hello.

Alex sighed as she disappeared into the showers.

...

Alex followed where the teal string led, quickly coming upon a familiar pub bustling with patrons. A wooden exterior painted a weathered black as green ferns and eye-catching purple petunias sat as a trim above the pub. Cascading down from their potting. And a hanging sign swinging idly by.

“The White Horse”

A few more stories sat on top of the pub. An inn that they were staying at in the meantime made up the rest of the building. Her back ached for the feeling of a soft bed. But she’ll survive just a little longer without it.

She entered the homely pub, a few redstone fans making an artificial breeze within the establishment, keeping the patrons cool as they chattered away. A welcome Alex had embraced as an escape from the summer heat.

A man sat polishing glasses at the bar as another drifted from table to table, delivering finger snacks and drinks. Patrons enjoyed the relief of the fans as they chattered about daily happenings. It was a short scan before she caught the sight of a cyan shirt and a mess of brown hair.

She approached the booth and slipped into the seat right next to the miner. Steven gave her a playful nudge as she saw who sat across from him. A younger woman with reddish-brown hair styled into two buns and deep brown eyes. A red, yellow, and pink string openly displayed and tied to her finger

“Raina! It’s good to see you.” Alex waved.

“Hiya Alex!” The young builder grinned as she slid a paper towards Alex, “So uh… Stevie told you anything?”

Alex shook her head after a glance at Steven’s face, “Nope.”

“Ok ok, so uh… I need materials from the nether, but I need help with that.”

Alex cocked her head to the side, “Why do you need to go there?”

“Oh, I don’t plan on going. You see,” Raina pointed to the paper, “I need glowstone and quartz for a high-paying project I’m working on and...I’m out of both. Plus I need to oversee that the structure is set up correctly before I actually need those materials.”

Alex glanced down at the invoice, “Hm.”

“I’d normally go and buy stone and wood from suppliers but the last people I had that did nether stuff said they encountered some… complications.” The builder hesitated. She leaned in and continued in a whisper, “ _He_ is getting antsy again. They said they got too close to this strange fortress and were attacked by the demon himself. They barely made it out alive.”

The three of them shuddered at the name.

“It’s been quiet for nearly a decade.” Steven added, “Why now?”

Alex rolled her eyes, “Has to be a prank by some piglins or ballsy explorers. None of them should have made it out if it was the real thing.”

Raina opened her mouth to speak but shut it when she couldn’t find the words.

“Alex, I’ve encountered him many times and always got away with most of my hide.” Steven leaned an elbow on the table and settled his chin in his hand.

“We’ve both encountered him, and he’s nearly killed us every time.”

“I backed off, you kept egging him on for a fight.”

“I was trying to protect us.”

“Guys,” Raina said exasperated, “You two can bicker about it later. I need to know if you two are interested.”

“I’m in.” Alex tilted her head urging her friend to continue, “So what's the catch since you aren’t going?”

“I wanted to commission Steven to go and mine it for me, I’ll give him a good chunk of pay from this job on top of what he usually charges. But he’ll need help so I was asking if you'd accompany him.”

Steven piped in, “I was going to drag you along anyways for the record.”

The three of them had a good snort before Raina followed up with, “So are you two up for it?”

Alex and Steven shared side glances before focusing back on Raina.

“Yes.” The duo said in unison.

“Wait really? Awesome!” Raina cheered as she swiped up the invoice and tucked it into her satchel. “Anyways, I need to get going, just wanted to know if you’d do it. So uh...bye!” Raina hopped out of the booth with a final wave goodbye and skipped out of the pub.

Alex took her spot across from Steven. “A nether expedition… I wasn't expecting that-”

“Did you believe anything about...him?”

Alex paused, then rolled her eyes. Steven was looking down at the table. His indigo eyes were trapped on the grain pattern of the table, lost in thought. A cord of leather tucked beneath his shirt. He was picking at the enchanted glove again.

“Stevie, we’re going to be fine. It’s just an in and out job. Glowstone and quartz are like the most common ore in there.”

Steven sat up looking down at his hands, “Yeah, okay. How about we head out in a few days?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll meet you upstairs in a bit, I’ll need to chase Raina down for an actual list of what she needs.”

“Gotcha.”

Alex got up and left the pub leaving Steven alone to watch as their teal string stretched for a few feet and then vanished into two trailing ends. An expedition into the nether, simple enough. What’s the worst that could happen.

…

The portal was set up near the duo’s house.

They had made a small shack near their house with a ladder going down into a small bunker a long while ago. It was originally in their basement, but once a group of zombie piglins wandered through and got inside their house, not to mention the sounds it would make when one of the roommates was out exploring. It would fill up the house with a distorted, distant, howling wind and whispers that kept them up at night.

Raina had given a list of what she needed. A stack of glowstone and a stack of quartz. It was going to be an easy job, almost child’s play for the things Steven has hauled up previously.

The two adventures donned fire-resistant enchanted iron armor and golden helmets and jewelry. Yet, they sat confused as they stared through the empty frame. A few days ago it was up and running. A swirling purple veil glittering with magic as the outline of the world beyond was faded through that misty purple fog. Now it was silent and they could see their basement wall through the frame.

Alex turned to Steven, “Did you close the portal last time?”

Steven shook his head, “Nope. Left it open like I normally do.” He said as he approached, flint and steel in hand.

He clicked the pieces together, letting sparks fly onto the dark purple stone. The sparks caught quickly and a purple fire rose and encircled the rim. With a single swoop, the portal materialized and that flowing veil of purple magic was back. Specks of dust sprouting from thin air and sucked into the invisible vortex of the portal.

Through the foggy glass of the portal was a landscape foreign to the two adventurers. They no longer saw the iron bars and the planks of their nether house but a stretch of netherrack and warped nylium where the cliff’s edge dropped to oversee a large warped forest and a giant sea of lava faintly seen through the tops of the large mushroom trees.

It was a single nod and a deep breath as they jumped through the portal.

Vertigo slammed into them as the world spun. Their vision was blinded by purple particles and a sheet of magic. Nausea threatened to overtake them and suddenly they were spat out on the other side. Hardly a fraction of a second had passed as they drank in their surroundings.

The heat wasn’t as bad as they thought. The warped forest below also spread around the portal. A cyan blue that clashed with the oranges and reds of the fire realm. The duo made quick work on felling the strange trees, replanting, and making a temporary house to protect the portal.

Proud of their work, they moved on to the actual objective.

Steven set to get the quartz first and to collect netherrack to reach the glowstone that hung from the outcroppings and ceilings of the realm. He went to a wall nearby and made a two-by-two entrance marked with warped doors and set about mining down to a good spot.

Alex trailed close behind. Leaving soul torches to dissuade any piglins from roaming near, though the nether’s neutral denizens were mainly wary of the biome and avoided it at all costs.

It was a few hours of work as Alex also chimed in with the strip mine, they found pockets of caves that held glowstone and found plenty of quartz. By the third hour, they had filled up the requisition for quartz and only needed a few more chunks to have the glowstone ready to go. Steven hummed tunes to himself, quite pleased at the richness of the area.

They took their haul back up to the surface and chucked in a chest next to the portal as they sat around, regaining their breath before setting out to find the rest of the glowstone.

Alex built a balcony that hung slightly over the cliff’s edge. So Steven sat at the unfenced ledge and let his legs dangle. It wasn’t a deadly fall, but even with the mushrooms to catch him, it would still hurt. But that's beside the point.

“Hey Stevie, I’m gonna put what we got back at home and grab some extra food and some emergency slave. Do you want me to bring anything?”

Steven twisted around, “Oh… uh… maybe some extra water bottles would be cool.”

Alex gave a thumbs up, “Gotcha” She disappeared through the portal. The warped frame of her body walking out of view from the other side of the portal. The teal string that bound the two of them severed and pointed directly up.

Steven looked down at his own hands. He played with the teal string, watching it waver before returning to that upright position. The dark leather fingerless gloves were unchanging. One couldn’t even see the shimmer of the enchantment.

Steven pulled the golden pendant charm from his neck, hardly a buzz of magic was on it. But it gleamed beautifully in the blue light of the soul lanterns. With the way the rest of the face had worn off compared to the eyes, the eyes slightly bulged out catching the soul lantern's light differently. Giving it a strange effect as it shined. He looked at the galactic written on the rim, even turning it around.

It was the same with how he played with it before, the letters unreadable. But on the back was a motif of a sword surrounded by fire

But curiosity got him. He’s never taken them off in the nether. Never needed too. He added a fire resistance to deal with magma and just extra protection. He’s never stayed so long he needed to leave.

Steven pulled the glove off and the red string materialized.

His heart lurched into his throat.

It was pointing somewhere.

Pointing out beyond the warped forest and across the massive ocean of lava. He… he could _feel_ it. It was a ghost of a feeling, something he imagined as a placeholder, but no. With the enchantment of the glove gone, he could feel the string around his finger.

He swallowed the shock and gave a small tug. Anxiety built up in his belly as the string remained motionless.

It tugged back.

Steven nearly fainted.

It had to be one of those insane people that lived at the public nether outposts or someone that assimilated to piglin culture. Maybe a researcher? Whoever was at the opposite end filled Steven’s mind rather with hope, but with unease. There was a gut feeling that something was deeply wrong with it.

“Yo, got an idea of what we should do next?” Alex suddenly appeared behind him. He hadn’t heard her portal back in.

Steven quickly slipped the glove back over his hand as he scooted back and rose to his feet.

He found a facade instantly and matched Alex’s relaxed poise. With a cheeky grin, he looked far beyond the forest and towards the ocean of lava. But the words spilled from his mouth, they didn’t even feel like they were his.

“Yeah. I have a feeling.”

...

The two adventures managed to coerce a pair of striders to roam near with the thought of munching on warped mushrooms. Saddled and ready to go, they set off across the ocean, the agonizing heat of the lava merely inches away from their feet. They, unlike most others, were immune to the fumes and heat, the fire resistance thrumming across their armor aiding with that fact.

The striders chased after the dangling mushrooms, chirping and gurgling as they focused solely on it.

Alex and Steven had passed through a nether wastes region, a short fortress in the distance. But Steven felt something large calling to him further across the ocean. Alex watched with amusement and curiosity as Steven led further.

The screams and wails of a soul sand valley echoed nearby but faded into the distance as Steven urged the striders faster in their gait.

Hanging tendrils of red fauna swayed and rippled above the bubbling lava. Cliffs and shores with crimson fungi fauna spilling over them. The shroomlights gave an eerie and alien glow as figures of hulking hoglins tore through the forests and pursuing piglins squealing after them.

Alex and Steven led the striders off to the side and continued on foot, also taking the saddles with them just in case.

Alex looked on with curiosity as Steven sped ahead, he was acting a little strange. Maybe the fumes of the nether were getting to his head. Though after a moment of looking at his feet, he picked up his pace and started to climb through the crimson forest.

They jumped over crevices and heaved their bodies over edges and climbed up.

The ceiling dipped in this one area creating a wall between this area and the next. Allowing shelves were narrow paths where thin mushroom trees settled. The ocean continues through this one natural arch.

Steven found a cave hidden by a set of thick hanging vines. Alex skipped up to his side as he waited for her to catch up. He swallowed as he pushed through the heavy curtain of vines and the two of them stood slack-jawed at the scene that unfolded before them.

There was a large mass of netherrack that overhung over the ocean of lava. Stilts supposed the outcropping as a large fortress, styled, unlike anything the two adventurers had ever seen. On the left were a long hall and black dots for windows. The main body was this large wall with windows and balconies. In the center near the left was a tower with a prominent balcony, overseeing this colossal cavern.

Alex’s eyes glittered as she shook Steven’s shoulders. Steven still was frozen as the stared at the fortress, or was castle a better name for it? There were tall and narrow arches akin to gothic architecture and pillars that looked nothing like the simple and squares of typical fortresses.

Alex, feeling ballsy, brought Steven out of his stupor, “You think that’s the demon’s castle?”

Steven nodded meekly, “Wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Want to explore it?” Alex nudged his shoulder.

Steven looked at her bewildered. But blinked at that excited grin upon her face. She was buzzing with anticipation at the mere thought of treading upon the demon’s own territory.

With a sigh, he relented, “There’s a ledge over on the right, that should get us near what looked to be a bridge and most likely a gate on the far right.”

“Already beating you to it,” Alex said right before she sprinted down the little edge they were currently on.

...

They fell into a trap.

That’s the best way to put it.

Alex got to ahead of herself and set off a trap, letting a whole swarm of wither skeletons know of their position. They fought the majority of them, letting their withered bodies clattered into heaps of bones. Though they were still overwhelmed.

They ran.

And then found another trap, or maybe unstable flooring.

Alex had set off this trap as well but nimble enough to jump, Steven was not so lucky. He fell to a floor beneath them. That’s the most of it. Alex didn’t return any of his calls as he yelled up the story above him.

He set about exploring, maybe finding a staircase. But he fiddled with the teal string on his finger, and it fiddled back. She’s probably okay. Hopefully.

Steven wandered through a maze of dark halls. Floors of blackstone and walls of netherbrick. Dark and menacing. Steven avoided the gazes of piglins and sprinting away when he saw skeletons. It had to be an hour of wandering by himself. Going up and down stairs, avoiding traps, and just ignoring basically everything in this area.

He finally found a larger hall. Glass windows had lava light spilling into the room. Along with soul lanterns near some doors and not others, probably to ward off piglins?

He continued down this hall when his arm was yanked. Well, not yanked but forcefully jerked.

Maybe Alex was nearby and was in trouble! But as he glanced down at her line, it was lax. Then he felt it again nearly taking him off balance, the teal string did not move. A lump was caught in his throat as he slipped the glove off and let the red strong spill out.

It was stretched. Almost trying to pull him towards the other end. There was an uncertainty, no, a fear of what lied on the other end. The logic in his head said to run and find Alex as soon as possible, but that little voice of morbid curiosity yearned to find out.

He wondered if it was a piglin. It’s been unheard of as of late, but the theory still stands. There have been piglins seen with strings connected to each other, though they had a good sense of suppressing the links without the need for enchants. Though everyone knows piglins are highly susceptible to the zombie plague and every single one has turned into zombified piglins, so figuring that one out would be awkward.

Steven ignored the equal tugs as he slipped the glove back on and suppressed the feeling of the string. He wanted to find Alex first.

The miner wandered through the halls of the giant fortress-castle-thing, passing ornate doors and idling piglins, his sword firmly in his grasp the entire time. His armor should be at peak performance, enchanted, and at full health. He shouldn’t have to worry that much. He’s hardly seen any other creature than the occasional piglin and zombified piglin.

He discovered that this one passage took him to a much larger room. He stepped out onto the red carpet and did a full three-sixty as he admired the architecture. A single pointed arched ceiling was found in ancient churches. A nearly gothic style. It was a longish hallway with a variety of paths. Well, not really long just really big.

He came in from one of the long sides as either of the short sides were made of stained glass art depicting what looked to be fire behind a unique netherite sword lined with gold. The glass had ornaments on either side, things to show precision.

It looked familiar.

The long side in front of him, opposite of where he came from, hosted a large door, larger than any of the others he had encountered in this strange place. It was made of dark oak wood lined with gold filigree and redstone accents. It was ornate yet not gaudy. Tasteful yet imposing and almost...regal.

This definitely wasn’t a normal ruined fortress, it couldn’t have been a piglin structure either. How would they have gotten dark oak of all woods? Not to mention the filigree looked nothing like the patterns typically seen on piglin craftsmanship.

From the side he entered, there was a much smaller arch.

He cautiously made his way to it and found a clone of an imperial staircase. Two sets of stairs that curved and conjoined at the top. Another arch was at the top and that and what Steven guessed that is also to somewhere else. But in the space between the two stairs was a hallway and a light. A warm light

Steven urged his feet forward as he was greeted with the scent of aged paper, old wood, and bound leather. He found himself in the middle of the library with a large chandelier of wrought iron and soul lanterns hung in the center as towering cases of books surrounded him.

Normal torches were at the very edges to deter mobs, but the sheer size of this library was insane. Steven snooped around, disregarding how the red string started to yank harder. He had the glove on, how was he even feeling it. Though the thought was quickly thrown out as he reached for a book.

It was bound in green-dyed leather and covered in fine silver engravings. Swirls of vines and leaves covered it. The pages were filled with diagrams of plants and foliage. All written in standard galactic. He could read it, but it must have been in a different language as the entire thing was jargon in his head.

He placed it back and reached for another. And another. And another. Even one in galactic, but an older dialect of common.

As Steven placed the last book in its spot, a shiver ran down his spine. As if he was being watched. Steven unsheathed his sword and glanced on either side. He made his breathing shallow as he listened for anything. The faint sound of shuffling was nearby.

“Creak.”

Steven felt his blood turn to ice as the shuffling stopped. He swallowed as he peeked around the bookcase.

“Squeal!” A piglin child squealed and jumped away.

Steven tried to hold back his laughter as the tiny piglin held it’s red wooden sword at him. Making a threatening display, even though it was more humorous to the miner. Steven sheathed his sword and squatted down to be face to face with the tiny piglin. It lowered it’s sword as it cocked its head.

Steven waved and nodded his head in greeting. The piglin meekly did the same but its gaze was trained on his chest. It was staring at the pendant that had jostled and slipped from beneath with his shirt. It was enamored with the golden gleam.

The tiny being cautiously stepped forward as it reached for the piece. Steven stood as still as a statue as the piglin plucked the pendant and inspected it. It gave a honk in question as it dropped the pendant and hopped away.

Steven cocked his head to the side as the baby piglin did the same before scampering away and down a different hall. The sound of other piglins growling in relief following after it disappeared.

Cute.

Steven figured it was time to try and get out. But as he approached the exit and found himself staring at the large dark oak door. It was enchanting as he slowly crept towards it. The intricate details of the gold as they wound and braided together. Branching off here and merging there. Braids of gold as trims and pieces of redstone cut and refined into large gemstones that dotted the filigree.

Steven tried the handle, and it opened with little force, though creaking as he slipped inside.

Steven’s jaw dropped as he stood at the foot of a giant cathedral-like chamber. It had to be about thirty meters wide and nearly fifty meters long. The main area looked to be about thirty to forty meters tall as it was a single arch of smoothed nether-brick that ran down the length of the chamber, large pillars connecting to support ridges in the arched ceiling. Two parallel rows of thick cylinder blackstone columns sat on either side of the long-running carpet. Gold formed the square edges of the blackstone pillar foundation and the top along with lining the edges of the arch’s ridges in the main ceiling.

Beyond the pillars on either side looked to be small and narrow wings, that part of the ceiling was shorter and vaulted. Yet still tall enough for giant windows that on one side overlooked a massive ocean of lava and gorgeous cliffs of crimson forests and on the other an expanse of a warped forest with a soulsand valley in the far smokey distance.

But the main statement piece lied at the very end of this cathedral. Below possibly the most intricate stained glass window he’s ever seen and upon a tall pedestal of stairs was a large gaudy throne.

Steven wandered closer in awe, it was made entirely of netherite and solid gold. The cushion was made of dark blood red velvet. Two streams of lava sat on either side like bright banners that flowed to the foot of the pedestal and ran down a channel to the door.

The miner ignored all other senses as he approached the first step of the throne. It was calling to him. At the foot of either leg of the throne were two braziers alight with blue fire. Steven took a step up, almost reaching for the throne.

A growl rumbled from behind him.

Steven whirled around to see two large orbs of light glaring right at him. All attached to a large hulking figure.

A figure sporting a mantel of tanned hoglin hide with a trim of cream fur. A deep maroon cape that’s length trailed on the floor. A teal tunic and navy slacks that led down to grey dress boots. And a head of long brown hair, with two locks on whether side framing the man’s face and a beard that was trimmed to a soft point at the chin. A broad seven-foot-six giant nearly a foot and a half taller than the miner himself.

There was only one name that came to mind as he gawked at the figure. One he had encountered many times before, standing poised and threateningly at the miner.

The Demon Overlord of the Nether.

Herobrine.

Steven quickly unsheathed his diamond sword and stood at the ready. Calculating every single possible outcome and movement the demon could take.

His frantic heart was thumping in his ears as fear made his grip shaky. His throat was dry and the heat of the nether wasn’t helping in the slightest.

The demon, sensing the challenge, summoned a sword of netherite and stood there observing the miner’s form. He looked like he was thinking, almost a confused look before it all fell away to apathy as he readied his blade.

Steven stood shocked for that split moment. The demon showed emotion. The last few times the miner had encountered the being, there was his dead look. An unbreaking poise, a facade.

Herobrine lunged at him.

Steven ducked and raised his diamond blade to meet the demon’s.

There were swings and ducks, parries, and evades. Steven worked around the demon until his back was to the door. Waiting for the opportunity to turn tails and run.

Steven jumped back but felt the blade knick his chest. The stinging of the very shallow cut had Steven tripping and landed on his back. He had a single heartbeat then the demon teleported directly upon him, pinning him to the floor from the waist down.

The demon held the edge of the blade at Steven’s throat and the other hand next to the miner’s head, hesitating as he was searching for something. Till his gaze was distracted. Steven gingerly turned his head, avoiding the razor edge of the sword as the red tattered string on the demon’s finger pointed straight at something.

The demon let up on his pressure and shifted his weight off of the miner. Steven took his chance and scrambled to his feet. Panting with quickly evaporating sweat running down his face. The demon mirrored his movement, also bringing himself to his feet.

Those glowing eyes left the miner’s face as the demon rose his hand, and the string followed a straight path.

A cruel thought had Steven slipping the glove off his hand and lifting it near his chest.

Steven felt his heart stop as the red string strung to his finger was tied directly to the demon’s.

His heart struggled to beat as adrenaline flushed into his system. His breaths quickened as his eyesight began to have black dots and tunneled.

Steven blacked out.

...


	2. Not Today, Thank You

…

**STRINGS OF FATE**

_Part II: Not Today, Thank You_

…

There’s a ringing, like a high-pitched screeching going over and over. His body ached. He couldn’t feel his hands or his feet. His stomach is doing flips. Where is he? He’s tossed from side to side, like a raft in a raging sea. A headache pounded in his skull. It only lasted for a second until swaths of color flashed into his eyes.

His eyes are clouded, he can’t see, he can’t feel, the nausea is suffocating. Ash, fire, sulfur, it comes to light, and it burned. He heard the cries of giant floating beasts and the snarling growls of tusked humanoids. The surrounding colors flickered and danced a harsh, violent dance. Swathes of red and oranges touched his arms as turquoise blue splotches burned into his eyes.

He raises his hand to his eyes for shade. Then it stops. But he can’t see, he can’t feel. Numb to the world around him. It’s pitch black darkness except for the very clothing he wore. His hands, blurry, and a red string dangled tauntingly.

The string tugged his hand. The little crimson strand went rigid and lax, then rigid again. It got longer and longer. Like a snake, its end slithered onward. Coiling over itself and running. Creating loops and tangles. Spontaneous ends dropped from the non-existent walls, it strung across the void-ceiling like thin taut ribbons across a darkened expanse. A greyed haze covered them. It was difficult to see, but they were there.

A red string slipped around his ankle, crawling up and around, binding. It snakes around his arms and hand like a serpent, squeezing the life from him. It coiled around his throat, it’s a pulsing crimson. He tried to speak, to scream, but it was choked back. He can only twitch his fingers. He can’t feel them.

A bead of white flashes from nothing. They become two; they glow. His stomach is doing flips. Why can’t he move? Why can’t he run? The eyes get closer; they flare with malice and anger. Its blinding light overcomes his senses as a hand brushes against his cheek. The world shakes.

Steven jolted awake with a yelp.

“OH THANK FUCK!” Alex practically screamed into his ear. Dried marks of tears stuck to her cheeks, her eyes red and puffy. She’s hovering over him. She dived to hug him, she’s sobbing. Steven gingerly wraps his arms around her, he’s fine. Nothing hurts badly. His arm ached. Like a bruise after a nasty bump. He rests his chin on her shoulder. He can see his hands. The gloves are back on as if hastily placed. He’s okay.

They both take a long, well-deserved breath of relief.

Steven shuffled to look up to Alex. “Wh... what happened?” He winced at the sound of his voice. It’s hoarse and the mere air scratches at his throat, it’s uncomfortable.

Alex’s eyes flashed back into the panicked daze as if she had seen a ghost. Her face grew distant as she looked into his eyes. She pursed her lips as she found her words. Behind those emerald green eyes was fear. Not of monsters or ghosts, but of losing her best friend.

“He…” She cleared her throat, “He was there, and you were on the ground not moving! I couldn’t see if you were breathing or not.”

“Alex, look, I’m fine, I’m breathing.”

“Steven, you don’t understand. He was kneeling right over you, holding your arm, touching you! Like holding his sword about to stab. I... I thought you were dead!” Alex grasped his forearm up near his wrist. Steven could feel the shaking as she let go, “You were limp.”

There was a mark, a red welting bruise, of a deathly grip. It burned, no, throbbed like it strangled his arm with white-hot coals. Steven swallowed thickly as he ghosted the tips of his fingers over it, pressing down and wincing. A bruise. His glove was forced back on, it wasn’t even strapped on properly, haphazardly pulled over his hands.

He looked back to the other as if to say ‘what next?’ though obviously, it was to get out of here. Alex reached out her hand for the other to take, and they quickly broke into a brisk pace to get the hell out of here. Alex was in front, Steven limping along behind her.

Alex opened the door for him as he took a long last glance at the throne room. The giant throne looming as the perspective of the long hallway tried to draw him back in. He broke the spell as he nudged Alex first and nearly slammed the heavy doors closed.

The other had left marks to backtrack. At least she had the brainpower to pay attention to her surroundings, unlike him, who stumbled through in blind wonder. Nearly getting himself killed in that encounter. Or maybe a concussion. Their brief fight didn’t last long, and he hit his head pretty hard.

He lagged behind as he glanced out of a window. A pod of ghasts floated around, mewling and crying at each other as it drifted through the nether’s currents. He felt eyes boring into his back, burning, vivid, and present. He shivered. Alex grabbed his wrist and tugged him forward with fervor. He winced.

“Steven, get your head together, the exit is this way!” Alex hissed. A group of piglins was wandering nearby.

Steven nodded wearily as he focused his thoughts on tracing his path out of here. But everything was winding. His head hurt. Like a pressure behind his eyes. How hard did he hit his head?

Left, right, this way, that? It irritated him. Normally he was the one that led the way, able to memorize the winding paths of caves and ruins like nothing. Like a mental map as clear as day. But everything was foggy and mixed-matched. A path he would have taken would have been a dead-end compared to Alex’s path she marked.

He had to have hit his head, no argument about that.

After what felt like hours of running through twisting turns and getting lost, the exit to this god-forsaken fortress appeared from behind a hallway. They were in the entrance chamber, a grand chandelier of gold and soul lanterns hung above. One he recognized.

The air outside the fortress was stifling. He hadn’t realized how much the netherbrick absorbed the heat, but the temperate winds blew across their armor and exposed skin. He knew where he was now. Alex continued to lead as they wade way for the cliffs and carefully walked across. Minding the ledge and disappearing back into the cavern near their base.

The forest they passed was silent as the ambiance sucked in much of the creepiness of the nether. The fauna filled much of the unease of the emptiness; the shroomlights glowing passively as particles fell from the giant mushroom trees. So alien and incredibly fascinating.

A hoglin eyed them cautiously from the distance, lying in wait in the fungus bushes and tall red grass. Red, red, red. That’s all it was. Draping awning of red spongy boughs of the mushroom trees. Hanging vines that brushed over their shoulders as they walked under.

The walk back to the portal was uneventful, just as they wanted. Not even a piglin or any creature in sight. They coerced another pod of striders closer and saddled them up. The slow-moving river of magma lapping at the creature’s feet as they moved through the crevice.

A cry of relief nearly enveloped the two adventurers when their nether-wood house came into view. They led their alien steeds to the shore, took the saddles, and ran up the hill. They were at the home stretch to freedom. They burst through the doors, locked the latches, and took one look out of the open window near their portal.

Alex wasted no time ducking through, and Steven followed diligently. The two adventurers were fed up with the stifling heat and longed for the comfort of home and water to rinse off all this soot and ash.

Alex sucked in as much crisp air as her lungs could hold. The fresh oxygen of the Overworld was a blessing to her body, even the muskiness of the basement chamber was heaven. She quickly scampered up the stairs and left Steven to close the portal. Eager to crash into bed.

Steven only stared at the muttering portal. The swirling purple vortex irked him, teased him. On the other side of the purple mirage was a pair of eyes, bright and stark against the deepness of the nether, staring sadly from a distance. Steven took out his diamond pickaxe and struck the portal in haste. He was panting. His hand twitched and trembled as he held it. 

‘Phvvzzt’ the portal hissed and spiraled into itself, closing the gateway between dimensions. Taking that looming figure with it.

“Not today, thank you,” Steven mumbled to himself, quiet as a mouse.

That did not happen, did it? It was wild, a nightmare. He must be dehydrated, heatstroke. It would cause delusions, right? Steven slung his pick back on his belt and stared at his gloved hand.

The miner took off his glove tentatively. The red string seemed to pulse around his finger. It ached like phantom pains. It wasn’t there, but it was. His mind said it was as though the nerves in his hand said it wasn’t. He slipped a finger from his opposite hand beneath it, letting the string drape. No. That didn't just happen. The heat had got to his head. Or the bump he had taken from the demon. A hallucination, surely. No way.

He felt a twinge in his hand. Alex’s cord was taut, not the demon’s, yanking him to hurry up. She was tugging on a messy pattern, urging him to get up to the surface.

Steven shoved the glove on hastily and gave the empty portal a last weary look. He climbed up the stairs and exited the small bunker.

The miner exited the portal bunker, trotting over to Alex’s side. They spoke a not word between them. Just uncomfortable silence as they made the short trek back to the cottage in the distance. Steven couldn’t stop picking at the cuff of his glove.

Alex groaned, “I need a shower, I can feel ash in… places.”

Steven grunted in reply.

“So… who’s taking the first bath? We still have to meet Raina, uh… tomorrow? How long were we in there?”

Steven grunted another reply, “I dunno.”

“Knowing Raina, she’ll want details of what happened. I mean, we can skip the castle fiasco.” Alex trailed off, finally giving up on prodding the other to speak. It was going to be one of those days, “Steven, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Alex, I’m fine.” His words were quiet but short. There was no malice in them, only exhaustion, “This trip has been… more taxing than usual.”

“You can say that again.”

They continued in awkward silence. Steven couldn’t find words, and Alex was getting antsy with the stillness between them. They walked up the porch and Alex shuffled with her bag and she brought out a key. She unlocked the door and Steven followed her.

The dog was at their legs, wagging his tail and huffing happily. Glad to see them home. Alex stretched as he set her pack next to the door where Steven put his. The house was untouched and welcoming to her tired bones. Steven walked into the kitchen and prepared a slab of ground meat for the dog and checked supplies for what he could make quickly for dinner.

Alex disappeared into the storage room and came out void of any armor, just her tunic and clothes. She hopped the stairs, claiming the first shower. Steven didn’t mind, he would just have to put all their goodies away and sort for Raina.

Steven picked up Alex’s bag and sauntered to the storage room. The clock read they had only been gone for three hours. The time between dimensions was strange. His internal clock said it had been at least five or more, but the nether lived in a unique system than the Overworld. It was currently late afternoon, around eight. The sun was due to set any moment now.

Quartz in that bundle, netherrack in that one, glowstone in the other. Raina had a specific list, and slowly he sorted through the debris and packed everything into a single parcel. Raina was skilled in her abilities and knew how to manage an inventory. Pretty uncommon in actuality, but she needed to know how to access such a utility being a builder and all that. 

Speaking of inventories.

With a flick of his hand, the gray screen appeared before him and Steven peered through his personal pocket dimension of stuff. They filled it with debris and clutter, stuff he had forgotten to take out from a previous venture, and more stuff he collected that didn’t go into his bag. He dumped everything on the floor to sort. Raina’s bag was set aside as he set to work on putting things away in their specified chests.

Cobblestone put in the stone chest, scrap armor put in the scrap chest, his harness and armor set in the armor chest, the rest of the nether materials not needed set away in a nether chest. Organized and tidy, just the way he liked it. He may have tracked mud inside many times or had a layer of dust descend over the entire house, but he liked his things placed in their places.

He heard Alex come down the stairs, her hair wrapped in a towel and a pleased look on her face. She had changed into some comfier pajama pants and a loose shirt. Flopping onto the couch with a happy sigh.

Taking it as his cue, Steven made his way up to the bathroom. He was past ready for a shower and to peel off this grungy outfit and scrub all this ash and dirt off his skin. He walked in and took out a towel and started the water. He shrugged off his clothes and slipped off his glove. The string unfurled from its confinement and hung down. He stepped into the water. It was warm. He wasn’t looking forward to a hot bath; he needed something cold. Anything but heat for the moment.

The water near his feet turned cloudy and dark as the soot and it washed the ash from his body. He scrubbed at his hair and let the soap soak in. He looked at the string on his hand. The blue-green string was lax and pointed away from where Alex was. The red one remained pointed down, as straight as a plank. Steven could feel the demon’s hand on his forearm, touching him. Each shock against his joints from their swords colliding. He scrubbed harder.

Despite lathering heavily in soap and scrubbing with a sponge, being very much free of grime and dirt, smelling pleasant from the fragrances in the soap, he still felt the heat clinging to him. The eyes of the nether, the spores of the trees. Like it latched on and under his skin. He couldn’t scrub them out. Water dripped onto his face as he stared up at the tiled ceiling, letting the water run. It was warm, not cold, not hot. In the middle, right where he wanted it.

He stopped the water and stepped out, drying himself off, and kicked his dirty clothes into the hamper. Sparkling, fresh, rejuvenated. Steam wafted through the room, slowly escaping through an open window used to let the steam escape. He stared at the reflection in the mirror. A towel around his body and damp hair. Tired purple eyes stared back, dark half-moons beneath them. Exhausted. And hungry. As he got closer to the door, he smelled food.

Steven exited the bathroom and hopped over to his bedroom and dried off his hair fully and put on a fresh pair of sweatpants and a comfy shirt. He would not be doing much for the next few days, maybe just housework and relaxing. He needed to after this previous expedition. Plus, it was growing hot, another heatwave. He might just escape into the caves to ignore the blazing heat.

He wandered back downstairs and followed the scent of cooking.

Alex had beaten him to the stove. She was heating up some old food from a few days ago. She scraped what she had into two bowls and turned the stove off. The dog had finished his bowl of meat and was happily dozy by her feet as she cleaned up some other bottles and set some dishes in the sink.

Steven grabbed the plates and set them down on the table as Alex grabbed two glasses of ice water. They sat down in silence and dug in. The ice water was heavy, clearing away the remaining dust that clung to the back of his throat. He was dehydrated, they both were.

“Wow, here I thought about going against the redstone ice-maker in the fridge.”

Steven snorted, “Yup. Nothing like a glass of cold water after an escapade in the nether.”

“Speaking of,” Alex cleared her throat, “Mind telling me what happened back there? Y’know since we’re out of danger and all that?”

Steven hesitated.

“I walked in, curious, and then he came out of nowhere. I think I surprised him when we fought. It was just a whirl of blades and then nothing. Alex, I swear, I don’t know how I’m alive either.”

Alex gave him a look like there was more, but didn’t press, “I’m just glad you’re in one piece. I nearly fell into another after you got caught up with those skeletons. It terrified me.” Alex trying to fill the silence didn’t help the tangible awkwardness that radiated off the miner.

“Me too.” And that’s where the miner left it. No more words could be pried from him.

They ate in silence after that.

Steven volunteered to wash the dishes since Alex warmed up everything. Alex grabbed her glass, refilled it, and headed back up the stairs. The dog wagged his tail as he followed her.

His thoughts were a mess. The only thing that stood out was how tired he was. He finished up and put everything to dry and hobbled up the stairs, going further down the hallway, passing the bathroom door and Alex’s door. Her door as slightly ajar as candlelight signaled she was still up, probably reading. The dog was snoring away at the foot of her bed.

The sound of climbing into bed called like a saccharine melody. He couldn’t resist. He flopped on the soft bed and dozed off, not even bothering to properly get under the covers. The heat of the summer didn’t help to convince him under, even with the redstone-powered fan in his room.

...

The night passed roughly smooth. Steven awoke abruptly a few times because of various nightmares, but the moment he opened his eyes, it was gone. Poof, like a whisper in the wind. It was already light out, and the morning peered through his window. Steven sat up with a groan. They had to meet Raina today, Alex was probably already waiting for him.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got ready. Changing his sleeping wear for a simple teal button-up shirt and blue jeans. Pretty much what he wore every day. Nothing out of the ordinary for him as he dug around for his harness. He probably left it downstairs. It was a harness he attached his light leather gear to. The walk to the village may be uneventful, but who knows who also roams the forest.

He sat on his bed, sleep was still in his bones as he stretched. His red blanket covered bed was pressed against a wall, a pair of nightstands on either side. On one side was the door to the rest of the house and the other was a window. His desk where he left the list of items Raina had asked along with other letters. His dresser with a few drawers left ajar as he had rummaged through them.

The miner stood up with a groan and exited his room. Steven sauntered down the stairs. His suspicions were correct, Alex had tossed something on the stove and set it on the table. She was picking at it as the dog was chowing happily away at his own breakfast.

“Morning,” Alex said as he passed.

“Good morning.” Steven yawned as he grabbed the remaining brew of coffee Alex must have made. It was still hot. He was never a coffee drinker, but he felt like he needed it today. He poured himself some and mixed in some sugar and a dollop of milk. He sat down in front of Alex.

“Eggs and hash browns?” Steven voiced aloud.

“Haha, yeah, couldn’t find anything else.”

“That means you fed the chickens already?” Steven started digging into his breakfast. Alex thought of herself as a mediocre cook, but Steven would digress.

“Yup.”

  
  
“Cool.”

Steven found his armor and secured it on the harness. A single studded shoulder pauldron with heavy layered leather running down his arm and to his bracers and a thinner one on the other side. Only his bracers were on that arm. The straps went across his chest, covered by another piece of leather that also covered his back. Thigh guards and calf guards secured. And finally, his trusty sword secured to his side.

A brief glance to Alex. She had just finished buckling on her own armor. She gave a thumbs up and slid her sword into its sheath. They were ready to head out.

Locking up the house, tidying everything up, and securing their homestead, they headed out to the stable. It would be fun trying to wrangle out the two horses that wandered in the pasture.

It was a wonderful day in the forest. The homestead sat in the middle of a small meadow, they cut a path through the thick forest to a clearing further away, where Alex and Steven would take the sheep to graze when they had them during that part of the year. The horses also liked to roam that area when they escaped the stable.

Tall oaks and aspens loomed over their heads as smaller trees filled in-between these goliath entities. A blanket of grasses and moss grew in the patches between the spaces of boughs where sunlight drifted through. A pleasant green like a deep emerald was around them in the leaves and the grass. The summer flowers and foliage colored against the green.

The heat of the summer morning was already clawing down their backs, the rolling morning mist had long dissipated but the sticky humidity lingered, and would do so long for the rest of the day.

The duo wrangled up the horses, tossing saddles and the goods to the bags on their saddles, and climbed on. The horses knickered to each other, shaking their manes and stamping their hooves. Ready to get on with the trip and be back in the comfort of shade that wasn’t the forest.

The dog yipped at Steven’s side, preparing himself for a jump. Steven turned to his side and opened his arms. The dog leaped into his arms, wagging happily as he situated himself in front of Steven as he urged his horse forward.

The duo was thankful for the thick layer of boughs above their head, breaking the hot ray of the sun from the grass under

The ride was uneventful. Easy at that. Despite the need for wearing armor while traversing the forest, they found no troubles. After an hour-and-a-half ride, they drew near the village. The gates and the mossy wall unearthed from the edge of the forest.

Tiled roofs of wood and thatch peeked over the wall. Brick chimneys free of smoke above those roofs. A pair of guards stood stationed at the gate. Steven forced a smile as Alex waved when they got nearer. 

The sun was high, but not exactly noon yet. Raina wasn’t supposed to come for about another couple of hours, and they had some things to trade. They led their horses to the stable near the market and Steven dumped all the things he was willing to trade onto Alex and they went their separate ways. It wasn’t market day in the village, but people still bartered and traded as they saw fit. Mainly within the village rather than other people that came from outside the walls.

The dog was trotting happily at their side, glad to be away from the homestead and in a new place with such interesting scents. The canine easily noticed the unease that Steven gave off. He bumped into the miner’s leg every chance he got, to remind Steven that he was there next to him.

Alex waltz into the canopied market, eying for some goods, and Steven went into the direction of the library, the dog following diligently. He had a topic on his mind, and not really in the mood to quiz the clerics or other specialists if he didn’t have to. Even the historian who lived next to and maintained the library.

The village wasn’t a village as it was a small town. Each house had a foundation of large cobblestones where a cream plaster made up the walls. Thick supports of oak logs formed the frame and inner walls made of bricks, the plaster went over the bricks. Some people extended the cobblestone for the first floor and had the second floor made of plaster. Tall steep roofs, mainly of wooden shingles, pointed to the sky. Steep to let the snow easily slide down. Clotheslines hung in alleyways as they left windows open for the breeze to come in.

It was homely and close-knit. But that was a lifestyle much more suited for Alex. He cursed his mind constantly, longing for that connection with a community, but rarely did he find that. Yet, in his small group of friends, he was happy. Alex had the energy for many people, and that's all that mattered to him.

But what mattered at the moment was finding the library. He swore it was down this street. He wandered around a bit. He must have made a wrong turn. He rarely went to the library for things, but he desperately needed it.

A few more minutes wandering down this one street when he saw a giant open book painted on a hanging sign. He knew exactly where he was now. The building was the same as the others, though more square. Its first floor was made entirely of stone bricks and the second half of plaster. Thick shingles made the roof, everything to protect the previous library from the elements.

He walked in the door, and the stuffiness of the library graced his face. The dog sniffed as well, panting. The scent of old books and dusty leather deeply permeated the room. Tall shelves crammed with books lined the walls. A simple desk was near the door and off to the side. An older villager, the librarian he presumed, was manning the station, briefly glancing up before sticking their nose back in a book.

One thing was for sure, the air inside the library was meticulously monitored to the keeping of the books and texts. Not only were modern books kept, but older ones from the village’s earlier histories too. He needed to find something in magic, mythological history, and strings.

Steven perused the isles, finding nothing of note. It was mainly fictional stories and current histories. Wars, biographies, tall-tales, children’s tales, other things. It was entertainment. He needed the section with encyclopedias. And aether-forbid he asks the person at the desk where they were. He needed to waste time. He could look for them himself.

Up the stairs, he went. More books were crammed into the bookcases and piled on the tables by the lounge. A small set of comfy chairs placed near a fire with little tables next to them. A few desks with writing utensils were scattered throughout this upper level. Yet in the few isles of this section, older histories were logged and published in this area. Including mythology. Perfect.

Would it still be considered mythology though almost all tales of the gods were true? Everyone knows the demon exists and is trapped in the nether. He’s like the only modern proof of the gods existing. Not to mention the gods walking in the Overworld itself. Yet, he needed something about the aether. Something that mentions him.

Nobody could find factual information, a lot of information about the demon had been purged long ago. Some believe it to be paranoid extremists, others believe it was the aether itself. Either the aether had to cover up a grand mistake or wanted mortals out of their affairs. Though if his dreams recall right, he might end up being one of those mortals being dragged unwillingly into their affairs. But it was a dream, a mirage of the castle and the heat of the nether, a delusion caused by bumping his head. He was just curious about… things. Nothing more than that.

He skimmed through books and found nothing that mentioned him. It was only about his atrocities and how the aether banished him as a punishment for his crimes. Literally, like word for word in every damn book. It was the only retelling that survived in this library. He gave up quickly on that. It was a story he’s heard many times before. It didn’t help settle his nerves. He moved on to magic, specifically, the magic of the strings. Thinking about the cord made his hand twitch.

A mighty deity, features unlike any other, capable of such destruction it’s unfathomable. This entity was the right-hand-man to him who sits on the aetherian throne. They punished the fallen god through exile for treason against the aetherian throne. No one knows why he was exiled, locked away in the nether, or what his crime even was. Many say he went mad from the controlling hand of the other gods and killed many in revenge. He gained an insatiable bloodlust and fled to the Overworld to continue this rampage. The aether drained him of his energy and locked him away, exiled, into the nether for the rest of eternity for these crimes.

It was irritating. Every book, the same story. A minor variation in sentence structure, but essentially the same story. No one knows why he was banished or how many he killed. No records show any cities burned, or any fortresses decimated. The only proof of this bloodlust is those who draw too close to his current castle are never seen again.

Well, shit.

Now that he thought about it, it was incredibly stupid of him and Alex to go waltzing into there like they owned the place. Steven turned his sights onto another matter. He was tired of this. He put the book back in its place and wandered over to the magic section. Not fiction, but technicals. Books about redstone, enchanting mobs, things of that sort.

Few books about such magic were near the encyclopedia section, but he found the jackpot in one titled _Magic Guide to Strings of Fate_. Exactly what he wanted. The book wasn’t exactly thin, but it wasn’t thick. Hopefully, it provided exactly what he needed.

“Yo, find anything good?”

Steven jumped, nearly dropping the book. It was Alex. She looked intrigued at the book in his hands. The dog gave a small yip at Alex’s arrival.

“Nah, just picked this one up.” He turned it so she could read the cover.

“Huh, alright.” And that was it.

Alex turned her sights onto other things as she perused a similar area as him. Steven turned to go sit down and thumb through this book. He still had an hour to kill, seeing as Alex wasn’t herding him over to the pub yet.

Steven sauntered over to the series of chairs and plopped himself down. The dog already sat down with a huff and laid happily by his feet. Wagging his tail as Steven reached over to give him a well-deserved pat on the head. He opened the book and started reading.

… Maybe it was a bit boring, he would give it that. There were hardly any diagrams, not that you needed any, they were literally strings, but it was typed in a small font and caught pieces that were pure technical language. He would have no problem reading, but… anyway, he should read from the beginning.

Strings are forces of the universe, he knew that much, but according to some theories, they aren't actual strings. That’s just how we perceive these bonds. The reason such strings aren’t seen on other creatures is that those bonds are beyond our perception. There’s more junk on that, not entirely interesting for his search. He flipped forward some pages.

Then a chapter got his attention. He skimmed again. They can remove these strings just as they can create them. Despite how easy it sounds, rewriting the will of the universe takes great skill and focus. Unwinding a string just as creating one can cause irreversible damage if done incorrectly and carelessly. If both parties are willing, without hesitation, a simple burst of magic similar to grinding off an enchantment can unwind the string and leave both parties eligible for a new bond.

That was news to him. It was common knowledge some people form bonds and disregard the string and eventually make their own, but that is rare, almost a one in a million chance. He was happy with finding that, but he wanted to see if this book had anything else.

“Gods? What do they have to do with the strings of fate?” Steven wondered aloud. It was an entire section based on gods. It was short but strange. But it was exactly what he was looking for, no matter how much he denied it.

It talked about how gods could influence who could be fated to who, but even they were powerless to their will. They speculated gods to also not be immune to having fates of their own, whether it be friendships or more. But one part struck hard, like a slap across the face.

‘By the will of the universe, as gods and mortals cannot fraternize, it is impossible for gods and mortals to share a fated string.’

The author also added a fable supposedly written for young gods who tried to defy such rules. It told the story of a young immortal who had a red string, not one of friendship, but of a soulmate. They fraternized and grew close, but the mortal's life was so short compared to that of the gods and sadly passed away. The immortal grieved and suffered from agony at losing their beloved that they begged the gods for death themselves.

A very tragic story. Steven had to close the book after that. He lost the drive, souring his mood greatly. But that confirmed his suspicions. The string was fake; it was a mirage. Gods, themselves, had some effect over them. It could easily have warped because of such a powerful aura. He wanted to get a drink and clear his mind.

“Yo, Stevie,” Alex nudged Steven’s shoulder, “Raina should be here. Let’s go.”

Steven blinked, “Ah, give me a sec, I’ll meet you outside.”

“Gotcha.”

Alex got up and went down the stairs. Steven lingered for a moment. Did he want to keep the book? This part of the library seemed untouched. He could find it later. It looked to be very popular publishing, so it shouldn’t be that hard to find again. He went over to where he found it and placed it back in its spot. He followed Alex back down, and they headed off to the pub.

The main street differed from the rest of the town. The buildings were squished together, hardly any alleys between them, only roads to other parts of the town cut between buildings. The cobbled street was much smoother here, fitted more like flat bricks than normal pieces of cobble. It was visibly busier as carts drawn by horses and mules racketed down the street as people went about their day. Runners sending letters, cart vendors declaring their wares, travelers ambling down the street. It was a busy summer's day.

They found that corner pub easily. The dark painted wood exterior with flowering petunias and ferns draping over the top trim in their potting. A sign with the head of a white horse hung over the door. Behind the glass windows were tables and booths, half-filled with patrons lingering after their lunch break.

“The White Horse.” Alex said, “Aaaand, right about time, she should be waiting for us.”

Steven opened the door for Alex and followed her path as she turned her sights to one booth sitting at a window farther back in the pub. The bar was sparse, but the staff was trotting around, chatting happily with customers and friends as they delivered drinks and other little foods.

Alex made a detour to the bar and ordered some lemonade for three. They turned around, scouring the crowd for that familiar face.

Copper hair peeked out from the crowd. Two buns tied on top of her head, two big brown eyes, and a wide grin. She was wearing a summer dress, dyed a light green and trimmed with thin white lace, a sash around her waist. Very much out of her building clothes. She waved as they approached.

Steven waved back, “Heyo.”

“Alex, Steven! There you are! Got any news for me?” She cheered.

“Hey Raina,” Alex smiled back as she slid into the booth, Steven sliding in next to her.

“Good news for sure,” Steven opened his inventory, “Check this out.” He placed a parcel on the table and pushed it across for Raina.

Someone came by and dropped off the drinks as Raina carefully opened up the parcel. Steven quickly grabbed his drink and took a sip. The summer sun was getting to him.

She peered inside the inventory and her eyes lit up as he nearly buzzed in her seat. Raina quickly dug into her bag and placed a bundle of her own and tossed it to the duo. Raina took out a few chunks of the glowstone and held it in her hands. It glowed brightly. She put it back and inspected the other pieces of quartz and raw netherrack for them.

Alex peeked into the bag, and her jaw nearly dropped. It was a full-stack of emeralds. She nearly stumbled over her own words, Steven stared at it just as dumbfounded as her. A full-stack, they could replace all their gear this coming market-day and commission the blacksmiths to make the new armor for them. They could save the other emeralds from normal mining for upkeep on the house.

“I don't know what to say,” Raina cheered, “This is amazing. You filled it up to the letter! Normally there are usually a few chunks missing. I’m in awe.”

The duo paused, Steven spoke up, “Missing?”

Raina shrugged, “Well, it’s difficult to get proper amounts of anything with how dangerous it is, and I put you under such a time restraint. But I can’t express how grateful I am for this.” She said as she continued to fixate over the materials they brought, “That also brings me to my next question. Are you willing to go back and get more?”

Alex tilted her head, “What do you mean to get more?”

Raina set everything back in the parcel and tucked it away neatly into her belongings, “You know how I said my previous suppliers stopped expeditions? Turns out the entire guild, or group, whatever, all agreed to stop expeditions for the time being so materials are getting scarce.”

“You need us to go back in and fill more coffers for you?” Alex finished Raina’s idea.

Raina shook her head, “Not me, but other builders. There’s been a rise in popularity for glowstone recently rather than the normal lanterns. When they heard you were willing to fill in some holes for me, they said they would pay near double of what I gave.”

“Double?!” Alex parroted immediately, her eyes went wide.

Alex and Steven looked at each other. Silence covered the table as Raina looked at them expectantly. They had been tight on money since the previous raid happened and needed supplies to fix their gear and helped pay for resources from other villages to rebuild. Not to mention the storms this season damaged their roof. This would help them out, but it was a question if they were willing to go back.

Steven bit the inside of his cheek before speaking up, “We’ll think about it. What you gave us is perfect for getting gear we normally can’t make and it will take a while before we can go back in.”

“Oh, I totally understand. But I can give you their information if you ever feel up to it. They’re dying to get materials collected to build, hah. But anyway! Thank you so much again for saving me here.” Raina put a hand to her heart as she got up in thanks.

“See you later!” The duo said in unison as Raina waved goodbye and left the pub. Steven and Alex lingered a bit.

Quiet fell over the table again as Steven moved to sit on the other side of Alex. He picked at the table as he stared at the wooden grain lines. Go back into the nether? Steven glanced up at Alex, who was resting her chin on her hand, looking out the window. She was drumming her fingers on the surface, bored. She was lost in thought, just like him. 

The miner finally sighed and broke the silence between them.

“I don’t know if I could stomach going back so soon.”

Alex sat up and leaned back against the booth, “Me neither. Too hot and ashy.”

“...” Steven took a sip of his drink, “So… hm.”

Alex glanced up with a confused face, “Something wrong, dude?”

Steven shook his head as he looked out the window himself. People bustling by. Strings flowing in the wind and pointing in all directions. Strings of many colors. Of fated friends, of fated enemies. And those red strings of fated loves.

Alex downed the rest of her lemonade and got up. Clicking her tongue to get Steven’s attention.

“Shall we head out?”

“Lead on.”

The duo left the pub after paying for their drinks and walked back to the stable. Their horses knickered happily at their arrival, stepping from side-to-side antsy to get a move on. The sun would have many hours to set, but better now than later.

Saddled up, fed, and groomed, they led the horses from the public stable and the duo rode away back home. The dog happily sat on Steven’s lap.

…

The moment they got home, the dog immediately jumped off the horse and gave a big stretch and yawn. Trotting over to the front porch as Alex and Steven guided the horses to the stable. Heaving the saddles and blankets off their back and taking them to get cleaned.

It was all dousing them with water, picking rocks out of their hooves, and brushing the water out of their coats. Long work, but soon there were two happy, clean horses munching away on the grass.

Steven and Alex opened the door and got to work on their own things. Peeling off the leather armor and dumping it to get cleaned another day. Alex set some items she got earlier in a chest before heading into the kitchen, probably for a snack. The dog followed her, whining for a treat as well and lapping at his water bowl.

But as they left Steven to his thoughts, he couldn’t help but feel unclean. Like a film of dirt clung to him. More than usual. He shrugged it off. It was only a feeling. He went and did some more organizing, putting away the emeralds in a special lockbox with the rest of their precious materials. Then he went into the kitchen, the thought of cooking on his mind.

It would help, dicing up vegetables and getting a pan sizzling. He didn’t have enough ingredients to have a stress-baking session, but he had whatever was left around the kitchen to whip up a good meal.

As he did his thing, he could feel Alex’s eyes on his back. It was a friendly type of eyes, excited for what he was going to make today. They've been living off leftovers for the past couple of days, and he knew that Alex was getting tired of it.

There wasn’t much to say after that. They had dinner, Steven fed the dog, they went out and made sure they fed the horses, and gave grain to the chickens. Pretty much did the afternoon chores like usual. Until the sun was slowly dipping below the horizon.

Steven was pushing a hay bale against the side of the stable. He wiped his brow as he walked backward. That was the last of them to move. Now to get on with the next thing before the sun went completely down.

“Yo Steven, you head inside, you look tired. I’ll handle the rest.” Alex came up to his side and patted his shoulder.

Steven gave her a grateful look, “Thanks, Alex. Don’t stay out too late.”

“Pf, who do you take me for?” She jested, “Me? Staying up too late?”

They shared a laugh. A silence settled between the two as Steven looked away, but Alex wasn’t done. She put a hand back on his shoulder with a sigh.

“Dude, I know there’s something on your mind, but if you ever want to talk about it, I’m right here.”

Steven patted her hand, “I know, Alex, I know.”

Her gaze softened. He tugged him towards her and they hugged. Like a bit of tension released as they separated. A dumb grin on both of their faces.

Steven went back inside as Alex finished up the rest of the outdoor chores.

Yet. That feeling never went away. It stuck to him like a crusty feeling. Like invisible mud caked on in a thin layer. Like the bruise on his forearm was new again. It was a feeling of being touched. Like a film of sweat from running in a desert for hours on end. But he was relatively clean.

Only one way to get this blasted feeling off his back.

The miner huffed as he climbed the stairs and entered the bathroom. A single glance in the mirror. Tired eyes looked back. No wonder Alex told him to take it easy tonight, he looked bad. Huh.

Steven tried showering his thoughts away. Scrubbing angrily at his skin to rid himself of the remaining soot and ash that clung to him. But as the water dripped down his head, nothing would wash away that unsettlement from his mind. It was worth a try.

He stepped out of the shower feeling even more drained. Refreshed physically, but not mentally. The miner glanced at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Exhaustion was shown in his eyes. He threw on some nightclothes and walked out of the bathroom. He sauntered back down the hall back to his bedroom, blinking wearily as he entered. A wide bed sat in the middle with a pair of nightstands on either side. A dresser, a small table desk, and a bookshelf tucked in the walls. Cozy and all he needed.

The bed called him like a siren to a sailor. He felt as clean as could be, but this fantasy of being able to forget what had transpired in the nether haunted him. It had to have been a delusion. The heat of the nether does strange things to the mind, warping what it senses.

Slipping beneath the covers, that’s what the miner told himself. He’s seen mirages in the nether wastes and the basalt deltas before. How was this one any different? Possibly an effect of crawling through the demon’s personal lair. Who knew what magic permeated the air there?

He sunk into the mattress, heavy as lead. Achy bones finally resting. His eyes closed.

But sleep did not come easy.

He tossed, and he turned. The phantom feeling of the string on his finger did not lessen the feeling. Like a ring, one size too small, or a… or a string tied a little too tight. He rolled onto his back and let his hand flop outstretched to his side. His arm was hanging off the bed, the crimson string pointing straight down.

If his fate truly was the Demon King of the Nether, and void knows if his vision was right, how would it ever end? Badly, he suspected. Early scholars debated on the existence of the aether, and the city of the gods above that. Even other spirits and legends. Even the story of the great dragon in the end where endermen originate. But since the discovery of the demon, many speculate these ancient stories to be true.

The idea that mortals and gods do not mingle, they do not mix. There was a definite line between them and it was never to be crossed. Not even the strings could bend that rule, despite being very finicky themselves.

Steven’s mind continued to wander, topic to topic. It was all nonsense until his eyelids fell heavy and his breathing evened out. He was out like a light.

The crackling of fire near his ears, distant, muffled. The warbled grunts of the piglins were even farther as he looked around. He was stuck in his spot. Dark netherbrick surrounded him. Carpet of red on the floor. He was hovering in his spot, gravity did not register to his senses. Suspended in a dream-like trance.

He stuck his hand out in front of him, and his fingers were a warbled, blurry mess. He couldn’t count them. A dream? Strange, he hasn’t been able to lucid dream in years. But in his blurry mess of fingers was a red string in it. It wasn’t tied to anything, but it was there. Its crimson cord strung forward, pointing him towards something.

Steven looked around. It was a room of some sort. This lucid dream did not let him fathom the details of the room, yet his attention was turned to a balcony. A figure was standing there, overlooking the enormous expanse of the cavern. This room was lower in the castle, yet distant from the rabble of piglins and bubbling of the lava flows. It was closer to the ground of the overhang that the castle rested upon.

Steven willed his spectating form closer, but reeled back in horror when he realized it was the demon.

He had discarded his cloak and mantle as he leaned hunched over the balcony. A tunic of a darker cyan with thin seams of previous mendings was shown. His frame was different, he wasn’t as broad-shouldered as Steven recalled. Maybe it was the mantle that made the illusion, but the demon was tall and lanky, though heavy with muscle. The padded belt Steven remembered him having was also gone.

His arms were crossed and resting on the rail as he stared, bored. Long dark-brown hair trailed down his back and some strands in his face. Pointed ears poked out of the locks.

The miner swallowed and drew close. This was a strange dream. Steven knew this was a dream, but for this small moment, he could see familiarity and clearness in the demon’s face. A strange lucid dream.

He came around and stood at the demon’s side, eyeing him warily. The demon did not acknowledge the miner, as if Steven was truly a spectating ghost. 

Herobrine huffed as he looked at his hand. A red string only a few inches long, its faded end pointing straight up, much unlike his that pointed at the demon. He played with the string, letting its short end run through his fingers before letting go. His face remained stone cold, morose, distant. His gaze focused on nothing as he stared out into the sea of ever-changing reds and yellows.

A pod of striders mingled in the middle of the lake. They strode across the thick surface of the slow-moving current, bobbing as they picked at magma slimes that drew near the surface. There was a softness in the demon’s face as he stared at the striders. Like a sense of fondness for a favorite creature or pet. But they wandered away, out of sight of the balcony.

‘Phvvzzt’ A familiar sound. A portal being fussed with. Hisses and muttering filled the empty air. Particles appeared in thin air, only to be pulled back by a mystical force.

A dissatisfied grumble came from the white-eyed demon.

The demon suddenly moved to walk back inside from the balcony. It made Steven flinch. What had been behind Steven was a lit portal that the demon sauntered towards? Something cold flashed through his chest. Was the demon going to enter the Overworld to look for him? What kind of lucid nightmare is this?

Steven followed the demon’s path and watched as the white-eyed demon stared into the purple swirling surface. No visible land was on the other side. The demon placed his hand against the portal’s surface, and the portal rippled around his hand like water. Steven could see the demon leaning into the portal, pushing his weight against an interdimensional door. Yet he did not go through. Like he was pressing against a wall of glass that rippled around his hand.

Then the surface cracked, and the demon forced his hand through the portal’s purple surface. It shattered. The swirling vortex fizzled out as the demon stalked away from the portal room.

There was little time until vertigo hit Steven like a ravager and the lucid dream fizzled away. Back into unconsciousness and into the next dream in which he will not recall the coming morning.

…

Rays of the sun filtered through the window. Steven awoke with a jolt. Fuzz came first, then he collected his senses. He was lying in his bed, sheets twisted as if he thrashed. His curtains hardly stirred as he sat up.

Unnerved at the dream, and seeing the sun had already risen partly, Steven relented and stretched. He needed to get some frustrations out and what better way than with a day in the mines.

The miner slung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up, sauntering over to the window. The rays scorched a few of the remaining mobs that were too stupid to go for shade, a few smoldering corpses laid, but it was still early. He would have enough time to eat and get ready when the rest all disappear.

Steven followed through with the rest of his morning routine. Stretching out his body, making breakfast, feeding the dog, and strapping on his harness and mining gear. With his iron pick off the tool rack, Alex would know he was in the mines.

Morning dew still sat in the air as Steven hit the trail. Sword at his hip and supplies, he was ready. He planned on spending as much time in the miners as possible, to get rid of any and every nerve that remained in his body. It was therapeutic to him. Strange that diving into anxiety-inducing darkness surrounded by mobs, creatures that are constantly trying to kill you, the risk of cave-ins and landslides, trapped meters beneath the surface, is a way to shake off nerves. But it worked for him.

The mine he had claimed for himself was a small hike away. A natural cave he turned into a mine after discovering it was recently formed and no one had staked it out yet. His personal haven. The gaping maw of the hole was unearthed from the foliage of the forest.

The miner was last seen ducking into a cave and descending into the subterranean realm.

…

( _A. N._ _Y’all thought I was dead, huh? Don't worry, I wouldn't leave y’all hanging by a thread. Fun-Fact: the original title of this chapter was (fear emoji). Fun right?_ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also a big thanks to Splints for catching some stuff and being the reason I actually finished this <3


End file.
